Good Question Muddy Fork - I was pondering the same.
I bet I have read all the postings here about aeration, and have made an amatuer conclusion.
Ideally, I wish I could afford to buy an DO analyzer that ran continuously and would automatically started my aerator only when required. I only want the aerator running whne it is really needed. Currently, I have my aerator on a timer that allows it to run only 4 hours per night. It is off during the days, and it is always off all winter.
Since I can't afford the cost and maintenance costs of a DO meter, I am hoping to use temperature as an indicator of good mixing and DO levels. I usually keep my pond temperature within 5�F, top to bottom. I hope more people reply to Bill Codys post requesting data on temperature vs DO levels. Lake temperature profiles might be a good indicator to help amatuer owners maintain healthy DO levels.
